How long will it take from the first conversation to the finished installation? This is a great question to ask. A handmade kitchen is a significant project, both in costs and in the disruption it brings to a household. It’s important to know so you can start planning around it. The renovation, the holiday, and the Christmas you would quite like to host in the new room.
We have put the answer in this handy blog, from us, the team who actually run these projects from start to finish. All handmade kitchen projects are different; some take longer, and a few take less time to complete. Crucially, the time is not wasted: every stage is doing real work.
The Seven Stages at a Glance
From first visit to installation, a handmade kitchen runs through seven stages: the first visit, design development, sign-off and workshop scheduling, the workshop build, site preparation by your builder, installation, and snagging. Most projects take several months overall, with single-room kitchens moving more quickly and multi-room or listed-building projects taking longer. Here is what happens in each one.
Stage One: The First Visit
Everything begins with a visit where you book a showroom appointment at our Bridger’s Barn and meet some of the team (Paige & Billie). We walk through your room together, talking about how you cook, how you live, who else is in the household, and what is and isn’t working about the kitchen you already have. You get a chance to explore our showroom and features.
We do not produce drawings on the day; however, we provide a clear sense of the brief, a measured understanding of the room, and an honest opinion on whether what you are imagining will work in your space. From there, we agree on the next step and a rough budget bracket.
Stage Two: Design Development
This is when the kitchen is drawn, and Billie (design director) develops the layout, cabinetry, storage, worktops, materials and hardware into a full design proposal. For instance, on a multi-room project that includes a kitchen, utility and pantry, this stage will take longer than for a single-room kitchen, because every room is being drawn alongside the others.
We typically present the design in two or three rounds. The first presentation is the concept: the layout, broad design language and materials direction. You take it away, sit with it, and come back with thoughts. We refine, present again, and refine once more. Most kitchens are signed off after the second or third round, though there is no clock on this stage. We would rather take an extra two weeks now than have you living with the wrong decision for the next twenty years.
Design development is an important stage of the project, and listed building, architect-led schemes and larger multi-room commissions are all factored in and can take longer.
Stage Three: Sign-Off, Deposit and Workshop Scheduling
Once the design has been agreed, Paige sends a final specification, the drawings, and a fixed quote. You sign off the design, pay the deposit, and we book you into the workshop schedule. We work on a small number of kitchens at any one time in the workshop, so each one gets the attention it needs. We are always honest about the time it will take at sign-off so you can plan accordingly.
Stage Four: The Workshop Build
This is the part most clients never see, and it is where the kitchen actually becomes a kitchen. Every cabinet, drawer, door, pantry, island and run of fitted furniture is cut, jointed, assembled and finished by hand at our workshop in Essex.
What can take the time is if the project includes painted timber in deeper colours, marble or stone tops being templated and cut by our stone supplier, or hardware sourced from specialist makers. A multi-room project always takes longer.
Stage Five: Site Preparation by Your Builder
While we are building, your builder, electrician and plumber are preparing the room. First-fix plumbing and electrics, plastering, flooring, and any structural work all need to be completed before we arrive. Naturally, this stage runs in parallel with our workshop build rather than after it, but it is one of the most common reasons a project’s overall timeline slips, as the trades on site coordinate with each other.
We make sure the room is ready for our team, working closely with your main contractor throughout. If something is going to be delayed, we would rather know two weeks early than two days early, because rescheduling the install team takes time.
Stage Six: Installation
This is when Louis and the install team arrive at the house. From a single-kitchen project to a multi-room project, the time frame can differ. A typical install week can look something like this:
- Cabinetry comes in and is set out (days one and two)
- Cabinets fitted, scribed to wall, fixed and levelled (days three to five)
- The worktop templater visits so the material can be cut to the actual installed cabinetry rather than the drawings
- Worktops installed, sinks and taps fitted, handles and hardware on (days six to eight)
- Appliances integrated, panels finished, second-fix electrics and plumbing connected (final days)
Stage Seven: Snagging and Aftercare
No handmade kitchen is finished on the day the last handle goes on. There are always small adjustments to be made: for example, a door that wants its hinges fine-tuned after a week of use, a drawer that needs softening, or a touch-up of paint where the worktop was lifted into place. Above all, the snagging visit is the moment we make sure every last detail is right before we step away and let you use and love it for years to come.
What Makes a Kitchen Take Longer or Shorter
There are a few things that consistently extend the timeline. Multi-room projects, naturally, take longer than single kitchens. Listed buildings and period properties require longer design phases. Architect-led schemes, where we are coordinating with other trades and consultants, take longer than direct-to-client work. Imported hardware, specialist stone, or unusual timbers can add weeks.
Handmade Kitchen Timeline FAQs
How long does a handmade kitchen take from start to finish?
Most handmade kitchens take several months from the first showroom visit to the final snagging visit, spread across seven stages. The exact timeline depends on the size and complexity of the project: a single-room kitchen moves more quickly, while a multi-room scheme with a utility and pantry, a listed building, or an architect-led design will take longer.
How long does the kitchen installation itself take?
A typical single-kitchen installation runs over roughly one to two weeks on site, from cabinetry being set out, through fitting, worktop templating and installation, to appliances and second-fix electrics and plumbing being connected. Multi-room projects take longer.
What makes a kitchen project take longer?
The most common factors are multi-room projects, listed buildings and period properties, architect-led schemes that involve coordinating other trades, and specialist materials such as imported hardware, marble or stone tops and unusual timbers. Site readiness by your builder is also one of the most common reasons an overall timeline slips.
How early should I get in touch?
As early as possible. The earlier you talk to us, the more easily we can fit the design and workshop stages around your wider renovation, a holiday, or hosting plans such as Christmas in the new room.
Where is the workshop and showroom?
We hand-build every kitchen at our workshop in Essex and welcome clients to our Bridger’s Barn showroom for the first visit. We design and install kitchens for clients across Essex, Hertfordshire and North London.
Related blogs:
Use This Guide for the Perfect Bespoke Kitchen
Design a Bespoke Kitchen That’s Perfect for the Whole Family
The Handmade Kitchen Company: A Family-Run Business
Are you thinking of starting a handmade project at home? The earlier you talk to us, the more straightforward the scheduling becomes. Come and visit us at Bridger’s Barn to start talking to our team. Book your showroom appointment now!
